Uncertain Threats
by nalaa
Summary: The front of her building was crowded with police cars and an ambulance, a long yellow cord preventing anyone from going inside. [...] Everything in her living room was turned upside down: papers scattered all over the room, broken glass on the floor, smashed laptop on her desk, cushions thrown from the couch that had landed everywhere. What the hell had happened in there?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Set after _The Greater Fool_ (1x10)

* * *

Mackenzie was walking down the street thinking about what she was going to do once she got into her apartment: a long bubble bath, a big glass of wine and slow music playing in the background. She was tired and in a huge need of a quiet relaxing evening.

She turned over the corner of her street and the sight before her made her stop dead in her tracks. The front of her building was crowded with police cars and an ambulance, a long yellow cord preventing anyone from going inside. She quickly walked the remaining distance to her building and worked her way between the people standing there who were trying to discover what had happened.

"Excuse me!" Mac yelled to the nearest police officer.

"What can I do for you, ma'am?" The officer politely asked her.

"What the hell happened?"

"I'm not allowed to disclose that information, ma'am." He calmly replied.

"I live here!" Mac exclaimed to the officer.

"In which apartment?"

"7-B." Mac replied, not sure why he needed that information.

"Come with me." He quickly told her.

The police officer lifted the cord so she could step inside the closed area and escorted her to who she thought was his boss. She was very confused and kept looking at her surroundings, trying to make sense of everything that was happening around her. Then, she saw Danny, her doorman, being carried on a stretcher towards a waiting ambulance.

"What happened to Danny?" She asked, her eyes never leaving the older man form being attended by two EMTs.

"He was attacked." The officer simply said before tapping his colleague's shoulder. The other officer turned to look at him and he pointed to Mackenzie, standing in the middle of all that commotion, looking lost.

"Ma'am?" The other officer asked, gently touching her arm to grab her attention. "I'm Detective Mark Johnson, NYPD."

"Mackenzie McHale." She replied, introducing herself.

"They told me you live in apartment 7-B?"

"I do." She told him, still distracted. "What the hell happened in here? Who attacked Danny?" Mac asked Detective Johnson.

"Why don't we step inside?" He said, pointing to her building.

"Alright."

Once inside the lobby, Detective Johnson invited Mac to sit down in one of the couches before sitting down in front of her.

"What happened?" Mac asked for the third time, slightly irritated.

"About an hour ago, someone dressed as a delivery man entered the building and attacked Mr. Davis with a baseball bat. He'll be ok." He told her before she had time to ask. "He's got a pretty nasty concussion but he's conscious. He's the one who called 911."

"Why did you ask about my apartment?"

"At first, we thought the suspect got in and broke into different apartments but, after we searched all the floors and talked to your neighbors, we realized he only broke into one."

"Mine?" Mac asked him with a shaky voice, fear beginning to flow through her veins. The Detective simply nodded. "Did he take anything?"

"It doesn't seem like he did, but you'll have to check."

"Then, what the hell did he want?" Mac said while getting up from her seat. Her hand kept ruining through her hair while she paced up and down the narrow space between the two couches.

"That's why I want to ask you a few questions. This isn't an ordinary robbery, someone went specifically to your apartment, and we want to know why."

"You and me, both." She told him, stopping for a moment, pissed off. "Ask away." She said before resuming her pacing.

"Do you know anyone who has any reason to do this?" He asked his first question, taking out a notebook and a from the breast pocket of his shirt.

"No."

"Do you have a husband or a boyfriend?"

"I don't." She involuntarily chuckled.

"Any recent break-ups?"

"No."

"Any trouble at work?"

"Nothing more than the usual." Mac told him. Tired of pacing around, she sat back down and crossed her arms in front of her, before leaning back on the couch and closing her eyes.

"Where do you work?" He asked while he continued scribbling notes on his pad.

"ACN. I'm the Executive Producer of News Night." She volunteered before he has time to ask.

"With Will McAvoy?" Detective Johnson said, raising his eyes to look at her.

"Yeah." Mac replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"He's been receiving death treats."

"I know."

"Even more since the American Taliban broadcast last month."

"Tell me something I don't know." She sarcastically told him. Deep down, she knew it wasn't Detective Johnson's fault but she was angry and, right at that moment, he was the one asking annoying questions.

"How much of that did you write?"

"We wrote it together." She explained. "But he's the visible face, he's the one who delivered it in national television. I'm the one working backstage."

"I loved what he said." He told her. Mac smiled and thanked him for the compliment. "Is it possible that someone who didn't like what he said, has decided to take it out on you instead of him?"

"Yes? Maybe? I don't know." Mac replied, confused. "Isn't that your job?"

"It is." He lightly laughed. "You won't be able to stay here tonight." He explained to her. "CSU will be looking for evidence so you'll need a place to stay. Can we call someone for you?" He kindly asked Mac.

"No, thank you. I'll get a room in an hotel for tonight."

"Ok. Why don't we go upstairs? You can take a look to see if there's anything missing and then you can pack a bag. We'll drive you to the hotel afterwards."

Mac took her Blackberry out of her purse and called The Plaza to book a room. She had to drop her father's name, even if she despised having to do it, but she finally got a Junior Suite that would cost more than she wanted to think about; but she was tired, confused, scared and in the need of good room service and a nice bed. Once she was done, Detective Johnson accompanied her upstairs.

The sight that greeted Mac, once she got there, astonished her. Everything in her living room was turned upside down: papers scattered all over the room, broken glass on the floor, smashed laptop on her desk, cushions thrown from the couch that had landed everywhere. What the hell had happened in there?

Detective Johnson, clearly understanding what was she feeling, spoke gently to her. "We think he used the bat to do this."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Mac sarcastically spat out, turning to look at him.

"No, sorry." He said. "Take a look around, tell me if something is missing."

Mac carefully stepped inside, trying to not trip over something or somebody. She was looking around the room when she felt the first signs that tears were about to fall from her eyes. She took a deep breath to calm herself, not wanting to cause a scene with so many police officers around her, before she walked to her bedroom. The door was open but, inside, everything seemed to be in its rightful place. After a closer look, she noticed that some of her dresser's drawers were slightly open. She knew she had left them closed that morning, before she had left for work, so she got closer to take a better look. Detective Johnson, who had followed her to the bedroom, saw her approaching the dresser and stopped her before she could touch anything.

"Wait." He told her. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sure I closed these drawers before I left." Mac explained.

"What do you keep here?" He asked while putting on a pair of gloves.

"Jewelry, some papers, clothes." She replied.

"Let's take a look."

The detective opened the first drawer and let Mac look inside. She felt relieved when she saw all her jewelry was still there. Luckily for her, she only kept a few things at home with her, the rest were safely stored in a safe-deposit box. After a deep breath, Mac nodded at him and he closed the drawer. The second one looked a bit disorganized, someone had clearly gone over all those papers, but, at first sight, Mac couldn't tell if something was missing.

"I'd have to go through them to know if he took something." She told him.

"We'll take them. Tomorrow, after we get your formal statement, you can check."

"Can you lift the ones on the left side? There should be a frame under there." Mac asked him, nicely. He quickly complied. They both looked at each other: it wasn't there. "It was a picture of Will and me, taken a few years ago." Mac pinched the bridge of her nose and took another deep breath. "Why the hell would that creep want that?"

"It was hidden. He assumed it was important to you." The detective answered.

Defeated, Mac took a few steps back and sat down on her bed. Detective Johnson pointed to the last open drawer. Pure horror showed on Mac's face before she hid her face between her hands. "Oh God." She muttered.

"What?" The detective asked, confused.

"That's my underwear drawer." Mac replied without looking at him.

She didn't want to look. Mac kept her eyes closed and her face hidden while Detective Johnson inspected the drawer. Once she heard he had closed it, she raised her head and glanced at him.

"It doesn't seem that he touched anything." He told her.

"Then?" Mac asked, confused. Then, he saw a piece of paper on his hand. "What's that?" She said.

"He left a note."

* * *

Detective Johnson had refused to tell her what the note said, insisting they could talk about it when she went to the precinct the next day. After checking the rest of the apartment, she had packed a bag and had gratefully accepted the ride to the hotel. Before he left, Detective Johnson had given Mac his card, telling her to call if she needed something.

Sleep hadn't come easily that night. After a light dinner - her stomach refused to be fed -, Mac had taken a shower before burying herself under the covers of that wonderful bed. She had closed her eyes and tried to sleep but, hours later, she had been still awake. She had kept tossing while trying to find a comfortable position, but she had still been unable to fall asleep. Finally, a few minutes before dawn, she had succumbed to an uneasy slumber.

The alarm woke her up two hours later. She moved her arm and reached for her Blackberry. She silenced the annoying noise and groaned when she saw the hour. Knowing she had too many things to do before she could go to work, Mac got up from the bed and sleepily walked to the bathroom to go over her morning routine. Once she was out of the shower, only clad in a fluffy robe, she picked up the phone and ordered some breakfast. After she got dressed and had a much appreciated cup of coffee, she called Charlie to tell him she was going to be late. Charlie quickly asked why but Mac told him she would explain once she got there.

Another cup of coffee and some toast later, Mac gathered her things and left the room.

* * *

It had taken Mackenzie longer than she had thought it would. She looked at her watch while she walked down the front stairs of the police precinct: three hours! She had spent three hours there between talking and going through the stuff CSU had picked from her apartment. She felt uneasy: what Detective Johnson had told her had clearly troubled her. The fucking creep knew where she lived, where she worked and her schedule; he must had spent some time studying her without being seen or detected. For how long had he been following her? How much more did he knew? The detective was pretty sure it was work-related, possibly because the American Taliban broadcast. She had to talk to Charlie.

The cab stopped in front of the AWM building and she got out. After getting through security, she took the elevator directly to the 42nd floor, to Charlie's office. Millie, Charlie's assistant, nodded to her and said: "He's been waiting for you. You can go right in."

Mac thanked her and knocked on the door before opening it. Charlie raised his eyes from the report he was reading and smiled at her. Mac threw her purse in one of the visitor chairs and tiredly sat down on the other one.

"Someone broke into my flat last night." Mac told him before he could ask.

"What?" Charlie asked, confused.

"Someone attacked the doorman and broke into my flat during the show." She explained, defeated. "I've been at the police precinct all morning."

"Robbery?"

"No, he didn't take anything. He destroyed my living-room, though."

"Are you alright?" He asked her, even if the question sounded stupid.

"I've been better." She admitted.

Charlie got up from his desk and went around it to stand in front of Mac. He extended his hand and Mac gladly took it; Charlie gave her a light squeeze and urged her to get up.

"Come on, I'm sure you haven't eaten anything. We'll go upstairs, order some lunch and drink a nice glass of wine while you tell me everything."

* * *

At the end, they had spent their lunch talking about News Night and not Mackenzie's situation. It was during coffee that Charlie finally retook the conversation they had started at his office.

"What did they tell you?" Charlie asked her, concerned over her well-being.

"He only broke into my flat so they think it's something personal." Mac began. "They're pretty sure it has to do with last month's broadcast." She told him, knowing he would understand which broadcast she was talking about. "I'm sure they'll want to talk to whoever is investigating Will's threats."

"Why are they so sure?" Charlie asked, not sure about the connection between the tho events.

"Everybody with half-a-brain must know Will doesn't write everything on his own. My name appears right after his on the credits."

"What are you not telling me, Mackenzie?" He said, his voice very close to the one her father would use when he suspected she was concealing something.

"Besides destroying my living-room, he went through some drawers in my bedroom." She told him. Then, she took a deep breath and continued. "He took a frame with a picture I had hidden under a stack of papers."

"Of you and Will?" Charlie guessed. Mac nodded and took another sip of her coffee. "And?" He continued, knowing there was something more bothering her.

"He left a note." She paused. Charlie waved his hand, urging her to tell him what did it say. "_Maybe, next time, you'll be home._" She told him, reciting the note by heart.

"Mackenzie!" He exclaimed, attracting the looks from the few others in the room.

"I know, I know." Mac quickly replied. "I booked an hotel room last night. I'll spend a few nights there before going back home."

"You are not going back to your apartment until they catch this fucking creep." Charlie announced, dead serious.

"Charlie."

"This is non-negotiable, Mackenzie." He simply told her. "I'll call AWN security to see what can be done. In the meantime, a car will pick you up every morning and take you back to the hotel every night."

"I don't need a bodyguard, Charlie." Mac replied while leaning back on the chair and crossing her arms over her chest, slightly annoyed at what she thought it was a bit of an overreaction for his part.

"We'll see." Charlie said after finishing his coffee.

"Charlie, please."

"Mac." He firmly said. "Let's forget for a moment that you should have called me the minute this happened." He began, a bit pleased with himself when he saw Mac looking guilty. "Someone threatened you and I don't take that lightly."

"Me neither." She quickly said, interrupting him. "It scared the shit out of me." She admitted, mostly to herself.

"You need some kind of protection. As I said, I'll talk to security and see what we can do." He told her, clearly indicating with his tone that the discussion was over.

"Can you do something for me?" Mac shyly asked.

"Anything." Charlie sincerely told her.

"Don't tell anyone, especially Will."

"Tell me what?" A voice asked.

Mac nearly jumped out of her seat when she heard Will's voice from behind her. She quickly turned around on her chair, her hand over her heart and suddenly pale. "Oh my god!" She exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Will grabbed a chair and sat down at the side of the table, between them.

"My EP has been missing all morning and hasn't been answering her phone. I went to Charlie's office to ask him if he knew anything. It's almost time for the 2 o'clock rundown meeting, you know? So imagine my surprise when Millie told me you were having lunch together." Will said, resting his elbows on the table and looking at them.

"I told Jim I'd be late. Didn't he tell you?" Mac asked Will.

"He did." Will simply said. "Where have you been?"

"I had to take care of a few things." Mac replied. Charlie coughed to hide an snort, earning an stern look from Mac.

"Is everything alright?" Will asked them, confused by their behavior.

"It is." Charlie assured him.

"Are you two conspiring against me?" Will said, half-joking, teasing them.

"Yes." Mac answered while getting up and grabbing her purse. "We'll talk later, Charlie."

"Of course." Charlie replied.

Mac began to walk towards the elevators but stopped when she saw that Will wasn't following her. "Will, we're gonna be late. Come on!"

He quickly got up and followed her. "Were you really conspiring against me?"

"Of course we were!" Mac told him.

Charlie, from his seat, could heard them bickering on their way to the elevator, and he had to smile at that.


	2. Chapter 2

After three days of practically zero to none sleep, Mackenzie was about to go stir crazy. She got through the day thanks to huge amounts of coffee and an occasional Red Bull. She knew it wasn't healthy but she had a job to do and she wouldn't let whoever was after her take that away from her. But it was beginning to affect her job; the staff had noticed something was off with her, Sloan had cornered her that same morning to ask what the hell was wrong with her, Jim had been sending her confused looks all day long, even Jenna - the poor intern that was still scared to death to be working at News Night - had asked after Mac had zoned out during a conversation.

The only one who had seemed unaware of everything had been Will, but that had quickly changed after Mac had screwed up during the broadcast. Halfway into the C-block, during an interview with a Senator, Mac had distractedly grabbed the wrong paper and had given Will the wrong information. Once she had noticed it, she had quickly corrected the mistake but it had been too late: Will had had to apologize on air to the Senator and everything had gone to hell.

Once the broadcast had been over, she had quickly grabbed her things and stormed out of the control room.

* * *

"This is News Night. I'm Will McAvoy. Good night."

Once he heard the "We're clear." from the control room, Will took out his earpiece and leant back in his chair. He took a minute to calm himself down before getting up and leaving the studio. He needed to have a serious talk with his EP. He was walking towards his office to change but he changed his mind. Instead, he went to Mac's office and stormed in without knowing.

"What the hell happened tonight?" Will loudly asked as soon as he stepped in. Then, he noticed Mac wasn't alone. "What are you doing here?"

"I was asking Ms. McHale out on a date." Lonny replied, dead serious. For a few seconds, Will believed him until Mac bursted out laughing while Lonny wickedly smiled at him. "You should have seen the look on your face." He teased him.

"Very funny." Will told him.

"I'll wait outside." Lonny said and, without waiting for an reply, he left them alone.

Before Will could say anything, Mackenzie raised her hands to stop him. "I screwed up. I know, and I'm sorry, but can we leave this discussion for tomorrow morning? I'm not in the mood to be yelled at."

It was then when Will noticed how tired she looked. His face softened a bit, showing some concern. He closed the door and sat down in one of her visitor chairs before loosening his tie. "What happened?" He softly asked her.

"I was distracted and grabbed the wrong notes. It won't happen again." Mac replied without looking at him.

"When was the last time you slept?" Will questioned her, eyebrow raised.

"I'm fine." She quickly told him.

"Not what I asked." Will reminded her.

"I know." Mac simply said.

"Thank God you're not the one in front of the camera or you'd be thanking people for washing us." Will said. Mac raised her eyes to look at him and smiled slightly. "Are you going home?"

"In a bit. I have to finish something."

"Don't stay too late."

"I won't." Mac told him with what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

Will got up and, after sending her another concerned look, got out of her office and left her alone. Mac sighed deeply and closed her eyes, leaning back on her chair and taking deep breath after deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She needed to sleep, she was pretty aware of that, but every time she closed her eyes her mind began to wander about the fucking creep - as she had taken to call the guy - and she ended without being able to sleep.

Her hand reached down to open one of her desk's drawers. There, at the back, was the bottle of sleeping pills a doctor had prescribed her when she came back from the Middle East and that she had never opened. Mac took it out and stared at it: she didn't like it but she knew she had to sleep. She looked at the clock hanging on the wall and did a quick calculation: if she took the pill right before leaving, it would start to kick in just after she had something to eat back at the hotel.

"Fuck it." She said to herself before opening the bottle and swallowing a pill with a bit of water.

* * *

The next morning, after a good night's sleep, Mackenzie feel half-human again. She stepped out of the elevator into the hotel's lobby, her eyes glued to her Blackberry, and walked towards the doors. Just when she was walking by the front desk, the receptionist stopped her.

"Ms. McHale!" He said out loud to gain her attention.

Mac changed directions and went to the desk. "Good morning, Josh." She smiled at him.

"Good morning, ma'am." He told her, returning the smile. "You've got mail." He said, handing Mac a white envelope.

Mac hesitated for a moment before accepting it. "Thank you."

"Have a good day." He said.

"You too."

Confused, Mac left the hotel and stepped into the waiting car. She wasn't sure if she should open the letter or not. She carefully observed the envelope: her name was printed on it but there wasn't a return address. Against her better judgement, she decided to open it and, once she did, she wished she hadn't.

* * *

The pitch meeting was running longer than it should: too many stories and too little time. Mac had work to do and she was getting tired of the bickering between some of the staff about what they should pursue or not; it didn't help that Will was encouraging them. She was about to interrupt them (or ask them to shut the fuck up, she wasn't sure which one she would pick) when Jenna gently knocked on the glass door.

"Mac?" Jenna said.

"Yeah?" Mac replied.

"Charlie wants to see you."

"Thank you." She said, smiling at her and grateful for the interruption. Then, she looked around the table: the staff was waiting for her instructions. "Work on your stories and show me where you are at the 2 o'clock rundown meeting." Mac told them while she gathered her things. She could feel Will's eyes on her and she could imagine the look he was sending her. Instead of acknowledging it, she grabbed her things and left before he could say anything.

* * *

Mackenzie stepped into Charlie's office and looked at the three men waiting for her: she expected Charlie and Detective Johnson to be there but the sight of Lonny made her really nervous. She shook Mark's hand and smiled at Lonny before sitting down in one of the chairs. The men looked at each other, unsure where to begin or who should be the first to talk. Charlie gestured to the Detective to start.

"Ms. McHale." He said.

"Mackenzie, please." She corrected him.

"Mackenzie." He began again. "Mr. Skinner gave me the note you found this morning. I spoke with the hotel's manager: it was ordinarily delivered by certified mail at 5:15 this morning, the night receptionist signed it. We'll look for fingerprints but, if he's been as careful as the last time, we provably won't find any." He explained. "Who knew you were staying at The Plaza?" The Detective asked her.

"You, Lonny and Charlie." Mac replied.

"Did you notice someone following you?" He asked next.

"No, I would had said something. I've been using the car service, I don't know how the hell did he find out where I'm staying." Mac told him, slightly irritated.

Detective Johnson looked at Charlie and Lonny, clearly inviting them to intervene. They knew how Mackenzie would react once they told her the news and neither wanted to be on the receiving end of Mackenzie McHale's rage.

"What?" She asked them. Mac felt she was being left out of something important and her irritation was growing inside her, threatening to spill out at any given time.

"We think you should have protection." Charlie finally said. He mentally counted to three and, right at that moment, Mackenzie jumped out of the chair.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She loudly exclaimed. "I don't need a bodyguard!" Mac firmly told them before she started pacing around the room, looking at the floor, breathing heavily and running her hand through her hair.

"Ms. McHale." Lonny said, trying to gain her attention. He wasn't sure if she was ignoring him or if she didn't really hear him calling her name. He tried once again but got the same result.

Finally, Charlie got up and went around his desk to step in front of her, blocking her way. Mac raised her head and he gently grabbed her shoulders.

"Need a drink?" Charlie asked her.

She wasn't sure if he was kidding or not. "It's too early for that."

"It's never too early, dear." Charlie replied, grinning. He accompanied her to the chair she had been previously occupying and helped her sit down before pouring an small amount of scotch into a glass and handing it to her. Mac drained it in one gulp and gave the glass back to Charlie. While he returned to his seat, Lonny took the other visitor chair and sat down in front of Mac.

"Ms. McHale." He said again, this time getting a response from her. "We think this guy is serious even if, right now, he's not directly threatening you. He'll provably escalate and things could get much worse. Your situation is different from Mr. McAvoy's, we can't force you to accept protection. If you want it, we'll have someone here in less than two hours. It's your choice." Lonny explained.

"Let's wait and see, ok? I don't want protection." Mackenzie firmly told them.

"Mac, they're the experts. You should consider they recommendations." Charlie said.

"And you should find another place to stay." Detective Johnson added.

"I'm going back to my flat. It'll be ready tomorrow." Mac told them.

"You really should reconsider that." The Detective said.

"I'm not going to live in an hotel room until you catch this guy and I'm not changing hotels every time he finds out where I am. I bought one of those very expensive high security doors, I got an alarm installed and my doorman is aware of what's going on. I'm not going to lie to you and say that I'm not scared, because I am, but I'm not going to let that creep take control of my life. I'll continue using the car service, I'll be extra careful, but, tomorrow, I'm going back home."

* * *

Mac stormed out of the elevator and quickly walked her way through the newsroom and towards her office. The staff, after seeing the angry look on her face, stepped out of her way. She forcefully opened her door and she wasn't really surprised to find Will waiting for her.

"Take your dirty shoes out of my desk." She told him, sounding more annoyed than she wanted. Will complied but didn't get up from her chair. "Don't you have your own office?" She asked him, not expecting an answer.

Will, who didn't want to make her angrier, got up and let her sit down on her chair. Instead of taking another one, he perched himself on her desk and looked down at her.

"What did Charlie say that got you so pissed off?" He asked her.

"Nothing." Mac quickly replied while putting her glasses on. She grabbed a newspaper and a highlighter but Will took them out of her hands and left them on the desk, out of her reach. She let out and exasperated sigh and looked at him, daring him to say anything more.

Will ignored her glare. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. Everything's fine." Mac replied.

"You'd tell me if there was something wrong, right?" He asked her, concerned.

For a moment, Mac thought about explaining him her situation but she quickly dismissed it. Instead, against her heart, she lied right into his face. "Of course." She said, smiling to ease him but feeling really guilty.

"Ok." Will said, not sure if he should believe her. "I'll let you get back to work." He told her before getting up. He stopped by the door and turned around. "Want to grab lunch later?"

Mac raised her eyes from the article she was reading to look at him, surprised at his invitation. "Uhmm, yes, of course."

Smiling, Will left her office and she got back to work.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been three weeks since the chaos had begun. She was glad to be back at her apartment even if the idea of that creep knowing where she lived freaked her out. Notes kept getting delivered every three days at her building or at AWN, each one more disturbing. She had found flowers in her office one morning and, two nights ago, she had begun receiving strange phone calls at her landline. The police was still investigating but they hadn't found a thing: that guy was a master at covering his tracks.

She tried to mask her worry at work, keeping her mind focused on what she was doing and forgetting, even if it was only for a few hours, about the creep that was trying to make her life hell. She knew everyone was a little concerned about her strange behavior: she wouldn't win an Oscar for a wonderful performance but she had managed to convince them that everything was , more or less, all right. Well, almost everyone: Will and Sloan kept asking her what was wrong but she dismissed her questions with a quick _I'm fine_ and a smile.

On Friday, once the show was over, she hurried to her office to gather her things. She tried to leave as fast as she could but she wasn't able to avoid some of her staff. She ran into Tess, Kendra and Gary near the elevators, waiting for the rest of the gang to go have a drink.

"Hey Mac!" Tess stopped her after she had walked past them with a quick _Have a great weekend, guys_. "Aren't you coming to Hang Chew's?"

"Not tonight, but thank you." Mac replied, smiling. "I'll see you on Monday."

"Bye Mac!" They all said all the same time.

She called the elevator and, while she waited, she took out her Blackberry to pass the time. When the doors opened, she quickly stepped inside. Just when they were closing, an arm stopped them.

"You're in a hurry tonight." Will told her, stepping in along with Lonny. "Hot date?" He said, apparently teasing but a bit jealous, deep down.

"Yeah." Mac replied. "With a hot bath and a big glass of wine."

"Sounds pretty boring." Will said.

"Whiskey and football doesn't sound much better, Billy." She told him, knowing pretty well what he would do once he got home.

Lonny snickered, behind them, and Will turned around to glare at him. "She's right." Lonny said.

"Shut up." Will told him. He turned to look at Mac. "Want a lift home?"

"Oh, no, thank you. I have a car waiting downstairs." Mac answered.

"Since when do you use the car service?" Will asked her, confused. She had always refused to use it, saying she liked to walk home or that she could always call a cab.

"Oh, I only use it sometimes." She lied after realizing she didn't have a better excuse.

The elevator reached its destination, preventing Will of continue with his questioning. They got out and walked outside. Will and Lonny escorted her to the waiting car.

"Have a good weekend." Will told her, holding the car's door open for her to get in.

"You too." Mac replied, smiling kindly. "Bye Lonny."

"Bye Ms. McHale."

Will closed the door and, once the car was on its way, she released the breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

* * *

When, very early Saturday morning, Sloan had called and had invited her to lunch, Mac felt she couldn't say no. She had been neglecting her best friend the past few weeks and, even if she hadn't been really in the mood to go out, Sloan always managed to bright her days with her talking about her economics nonsense and her dating disasters. Besides, truth be told, a morning of shopping with her friend would certainly cheer her up.

They met in front of Barneys at Maddison Avenue and proceeded to spend their well-earned money. Two hours later, each woman was holding two bags in each hand while they walked into the restaurant to have lunch. They were laughing and having a great time, something than Mac needed more than she would care to admit. They ordered a bottle of wine while they waited for their lunch to be served.

After draining the first glass, Sloan knew it was time to disclose the truth behind that lunch invitation. "Kenzie, what is going on with you?" She directly asked her friend, concerned.

"Way to kill the mood, Sloan." Mac muttered.

"You've been telling me you're fine for the past two weeks but you are not. I might not be the best in human relationships but I can tell when my best friend is going through something while trying to keep it from me." Sloan said, making sure to sound more hurt and disappointed than she really was. Mac looked down at her wine glass, avoiding eye contact with her friend, knowing that she wouldn't be able to hold it together if Sloan gave her the sad-puppy-eyed look she did so well. "Spill it." Sloan urged her.

"Do we really have to do this now?" Mac asked without raising her eyes.

"Don't you trust me?" Sloan replied.

Mackenzie's head went quickly up to look at her friend. "Of course I trust you!" She told her, slightly hurt by her words.

"Then?" Sloan continued pressing her for information.

"I don't want to bother any more people." Mac said, leaning back on her chair and taking a deep breath.

"That's what friends are for." Sloan assured her. "To help each other." She reminded her.

"Alright." Mac say, resigned. She grabbed the wine bottle and poured some of the dark liquid into their glasses before she began explaining what had been going on in her life. "What I'm about to say stays between us, ok?"

"Pinky swear." Sloan teased her, raising her right pinky finger. Amused, Mac entwined her finger with Sloan's before they both bursted out laughing. "Tell me." Sloan told her once they both had calmed down.

"Three weeks ago, I came home to find that my flat had been broken into. Whoever did it, spent his time trashing my living-room and going through my drawers. He took an old picture and left a note. He's been sending me notes, both at home and at work, he sent flowers twice and I've been receiving strange phone calls for the last few days." Mac paused to take a deep breath while Sloan sat there, her mouth hanging open, too astonished to say anything. "NYPD is investigating this, along with AWN Security, but they haven't been able to find anything yet. They think it's related to the American Taliban broadcast but, lately, the notes have become more personal towards me, not my work. They think he might be becoming obsessed with me."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Sloan muttered. "You've been going through all this alone?" She asked, outraged.

"Charlie knows." Mac quickly told her friend.

"Still!" Sloan exclaimed, attracting a few looks from the people around them.

"I'm fine. I spent a few nights at The Plaza while my door was being replaced and my flat was being cleaned up. I have a car picking me up at home every morning and driving me back every night. Security has been increased both at AWN and at my building."

"You went back to your place? Are you nuts?" Sloan told her, trying very hard not to scream at her and making a scene in the restaurant.

"I need to keep control of my life, Sloan, I can't let that creep take that away from me. I know it's not the most sensible decision but I'm being extra careful, ok? Don't worry."

"You could stay with me." She sincerely offered.

"Thank you." Mac told her, grateful. She extended her arm to grab her friend's hand and gently squeezed it. "Charlie's already offered. It wouldn't matter."

"Didn't they offer you protection?" Sloan asked her.

"I refused it." Mac simply said.

"Kenzie!" She exclaimed out loud. Mac hushed her, urging her to keep her voice down. "Sorry."

The waiter brought their lunch, an opportunity Mackenzie took to change the subject of their conversation. Sloan reluctantly complied.

They were finishing their coffees when Mackenzie's Blackberry beeped, alerting her she had a new email. She grabbed her bag and took out her phone to check it. When she saw the email, her face went pale. Sloan noticed it and carefully touched her friend's arm to gain her attention.

"What's wrong?" She asked Mac. Instead of answering, Mac handed her the phone. Sloan took it and looked at the picture on the screen. "Mac?" She asked again, confused and beginning to feel a bit scared.

"He's here." Mac said, confirming Sloan's suspicions. "Oh my God!" Mac whispered while looking around the room searching for someone who looked suspicious.

"Calm down, ok?" Sloan told her, grabbing her hand. "Take a deep breath through your nose and slowly release it through your mouth." Mac followed her directions, trying to stay calm. "Is there someone we can call?"

"Detective Johnson. I have his number saved."

Sloan made the call and explained their situation. Detective Johnson told Sloan to stay there, he would come to get them. While they waited, Sloan paid the check and moved her chair to sit as close to Mac as possible. Mac grabbed her hand and didn't let it go the entire time they waited.

* * *

At the police precinct, while Mackenzie talked to Detective Johnson, Sloan quietly called Charlie to make him aware of the recent situation. Charlie called Lonny who, just as Mac was leaving the office where she had been, appeared into the squad room.

"Lonny?" Mac called him. "What are you doing here?"

"Mr. Skinner asked me to escort you to AWM."

Mac turned around to look at Sloan, a murderous look on her face, while her friend raised her eyebrows at her, daring Mac to say something. Ignoring them, Lonny walked past them to talk to the Detective.

Mac approached Sloan and took her bags from Sloan's hands. "Why did you tell Charlie?" She angrily whispered.

"Because this is serious and he had to know." Sloan quietly replied. "I understand that you're pissed but you're being stubborn. This guy is stalking you, Kenzie."

"I know, ok? I know." Mac told her, slightly defeated, admitting Sloan was right.

"Ready?" Lonny asked them, once his conversation with Detective Johnson was over.

"Let's go." Sloan said, grabbing Mac's arm.

* * *

"Why do I feel like being escorted to the principal's office?" Mac thought, out loud, after stepping out of the elevator at the executive floor of the AWN building.

"Have you ever been sent to the principal's office?" Sloan asked her.

"Once, on my senior year. I sneaked out of class to smoke with one of the hot guys of the football team." Mac explained, grinning at the memory of that day. "My parents were pissed as hell."

Lonny knocked on Charlie's door before opening it, letting the ladies enter before he got inside behind them and closed the door.

"Had a good day of shopping?" Charlie said, trying to lighten the mood beforehand.

"Very funny." Mac told him while she sat down. Sloan mimicked her actions while Lonny remained standing, just behind them.

"What did they tell you?" He asked, getting to the point.

"Nothing useful." Mac quickly replied before Lonny or Sloan could. "They're still investigating. They'll check the security cameras and tell us if they find something."

"Detective Johnson strongly suggested Ms. McHale to get protection." Lonny told Charlie.

"He did?" Charlie and Sloan asked at the same time, looking directly at her.

Mackenzie leant back on her chair and sighed deeply. "Are you ganging up on me?"

"Yes!" Sloan exclaimed. "Maybe, this way, we'll be able to knock some sense into you!"

Mac got up from her chair and walked to the windows in Charlie's office. She turned her back at them, staring at the busy streets of New York, while they looked at her, concerned. A few minutes went by, in silence, until Charlie softly spoke.

"Could you give us the room, please?"

Without saying a word, Sloan and Lonny stepped out and left them alone. Charlie got up and quietly approached her. Mac felt his presence next to her but continued with her eyes staring at window. Charlie noticed she was tense, her arms tightly crossed over her chest, her right foot constantly tapping the floor. He knew her façade was about to crack, he knew she was scared even if she didn't want anyone to know.

"You're a strong woman, Mackenzie." Charlie began. "You're an intelligent, amazing, brave and, I repeat, strong woman who's facing a difficult situation and needs some help. You won't be less strong, less amazing or less brave if you acknowledge that you need it. Yet, you'll be slightly less intelligent if you don't." He teased her a bit. "I understand your reluctance, I do, but nobody will think less of you for accepting protection, Mackenzie."

"I know." Mac softly said.

"Then?"

Mac turned to look at him, letting her arms fall at her sides, defeated. "Alright, you win, I'll get the damn bodyguard, but under one condition."

"Name it."

"I don't want anyone to know." Mac told him, even if it was pretty clear who she wanted to keep on the dark.

"You'll have to tell him someday, Mac. He's gonna notice the man following you around." Charlie said, trying to make her understand the situation.

"He won't, Charlie. Whoever you get to follow me like a goddamn puppy will leave and pick me up downstairs, at the lobby, not at the newsroom. If you agree to that, I'll agree to whatever demands you have about my protection. Deal?" She firmly told him.

"Deal."

* * *

They spent another hour at Charlie's office, working out the details of Mackenzie's protection with Lonny and AWN Security. When they finally left Charlie's office, Mac was exhausted and only wanted to get home. They got into the elevator and Sloan immediately pressed the button for the News Night floor. Mac looked at her, curious about why, and Sloan quickly explained.

"I need something from my office."

They rode down in silence. Once in their floor, Lonny and Mac waited by the elevator while Sloan went to her office. It only took her a couple of minutes. She reappeared with a gym bag hanging on her shoulder. Mac raised her eyebrows at her friend, smiling.

"Are you going to the gym?" Mac mocked her.

"No, I'm staying with you. These are the spare clothes I keep in my office."

Mac stared at her, her look a mix between gratefulness and annoyance. "You don't have to. I'll be fine."

"I don't care." Sloan told her, stepping inside the elevator once again. "Do it for me, I'll feel better knowing you're not alone."

"Ok." Mac simply replied.

"You don't have to sound so resigned, Kenzie. It'll be fun!" Sloan cheerfully exclaimed, wanting to cheer her up. "We'll order expensive food, drink good wine and paint each other's nails." She continued, determinately. Lonny snickered, behind them, and Mac laughed out loud at her friends antics. "Wanna come too, Lonny? I think your toenails would look great in red."

Both Lonny and Mac ignored her last comment. Instead, Mackenzie put her arm around Sloan's waist and tugged her closer in a half-hug. "Thank you." She softly told her friend.

"As I said, that's what friends are for."


	4. Chapter 4

Monday morning, Lonny had offered to pick Mackenzie up and drive her to the office, where she would meet her new bodyguard. When they approached her office, Mac noticed the lights were on. She opened the door and found a man standing in front of her desk.

"Hey Mike." Lonny greeted him and shook his hand.

"Lonny." He replied.

Mac carefully observed them: the man was taller than Lonny and as robust as he was. He was dressed in a black suit and a black tie, as if he was taken from one of the Men in Black movies. He was clearly an attractive man, not that Mac cared about that; he was there to protect her, not to end as Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston in _The Bodyguard_. She abandoned that line of thought when Lonny called her name.

"Ms. McHale, this is Michael Tyler. Michael, Mackenzie McHale." Lonny introduced them. "I'll leave you two alone." On his way out, he stopped next to Mac. "You have forty-five minutes until he gets here." He whispered.

"Thanks." She replied, perfectly aware of what he meant.

Lonny left the office and left them alone. An uncomfortable silence surrounded them, neither of them sure what to do or what to say.

To break the ice, Michael spoke first. "I've been told that you're a reluctant client."

Mac walked behind her desk and left her purse and briefcase before taking out her coat. "Aren't all your clients a bit reluctant to get protection?" She asked him but he didn't answer, he only stared at her. "How does this work?" Mac continued, sitting on her chair and inviting him to do the same.

"Wherever you go, I follow." He simply replied.

"Mr. Tyler, I think you'll have to be more specific."

"What do you want to know?" He asked her.

"Are you always this gruff?" Mac said with an smile on her face.

"You're not the type of client I'm used to work for. I'm very serious about my job and, right now, my job is to ensure your safety. I have a set of rules I like to follow and it seems you aren't going to be too eager to carry them out." Michael explained.

"You don't know me." She told him.

"I'm good at reading people, Ms. McHale." He simply said.

"Let's hear those rules." Mac replied, crossing her arms and leaning back on her chair.

"Right now, there are two secure places: your apartment and this building. Whenever you step outside these places, I go with you. This is non-negotiable."

"Alright." She said, resigned. "Next?"

"I'll pick you up every morning, at your doorstep, drive you to work and escort you to your office. Then-"

"No." Mac interrupted him. "You said this is a secure building. I can take an elevator alone, thank you very much." She firmly told him. A few seconds later, her face softened. "I'm not trying to make your job more difficult, I swear, but I don't want anyone here to know what's going on."

"I'll escort you to security, downstairs, and wait for you there when you're ready to leave." He proposed.

"Deal."

"If you have to leave one of the secure places, call me and I'll come as soon as possible." Mac nodded. "Always walk besides me or a little ahead, never behind. Do not wander of." He took an small device from his shirt pocket and handed it to her. Mac took it, confused, and stared at him waiting for an explanation. "It's a panic button. It has to be with you all the time. When activated, it alerts the police and myself. It also has a GPS tracker."

"Aren't you overreacting?" Mac asked him.

"No, I'm not." He simply replied. "If you want to go somewhere, I'd really appreciate if you'd give me some notice." Then, he leant forward and rested his arms on Mac's desk. "Ms. McHale, we're not enemies nor I'm here to make your life more difficult." Michael told her, softening his tone a little bit. "I know you are not comfortable with this situation, I understand, but we have to work together on this."

"You could start by not calling me Ms. McHale all the time. If you're going to become my new best friend, we better begin by using our names." Mac sarcastically told him.

"How should I call you?" He mocked her.

"Mackenzie, or Mac, will be fine."

"Then, I'm Mike."

"Ok." She simply replied.

Michael stood up and adjusted his jacket. Then, he handed her a business card. "Save my number on your phone, the first one of the list, and program it on your speed-dial." He told her. "I'll leave you to your work. Call me when you're ready to leave tonight."

"I will."

* * *

It took them a few heated discussions and some adjustments for both parts but, by day five, Mackenzie was getting used to have Mike following her around. Despite his tough appearance, Mike was a nice guy, with a wicked sense of humor that Mac really appreciated. She was getting to know him pretty well thanks to the long car rides between her apartment and the AWN building.

After Friday's broadcast was over and the meeting about Sunday's special show ended, Mac walked back to her office, ready to go home. She was gathering her things when Sloan irrupted into the room, without knocking, and looking ready to go.

"Let's go to Hang Chew's." Sloan announced, her voice making Mac clear that it wasn't a request.

"I'm tired, Sloan, and Mike is waiting for me downstairs." Mac told her friend.

"One drink." Sloan replied, her eyes looking directly into Mac's daring her to say no.

"Ok. One drink."

Together, they walked to the elevators. They stepped out on the ground floor and found Mike talking with one of the security guards.

"Ready?" He asked Mac when they approached him.

"Sloan wants to go to Hang Chew's." Mac told him. Mike sent her an annoyed look and Mac quickly explained. "It was a last minute decision. I know you like some notice but my friend here-" she pointed to Sloan. "Barged into my office five minutes ago and demanded I accompany her."

"Hey!" Sloan exclaimed.

"Give me an hour." Mac told Mike, ignoring Sloan's offended cry.

"Alright."

They left the building and walked to Hang Chew's. Just before Mike opened the door, Mac stopped him with a hand on his arm. It was Friday night; the staff would be already there. Mike agreed to let them go in first and he would follow a few minutes later. Once both women were inside, they found a quiet booth to sit down and ordered their drinks. Mike got in two minutes later and sat at a table close to them.

"He's a cutie." Sloan told Mac, looking at the man with an eye fixed on them all the time.

"And married." Mac replied, laughing at her friend.

"What a shame." Sloan murmured under her breath.

Their drinks arrived and they enjoyed them while talking and gossiping about everything they could think about. They were having a great time. Their drinks banished pretty quickly and they asked for a second round.

"It'll be nice to have you in my ear on Sunday." Sloan told Mac, out of the blue. Mac didn't reply, and focused her attention on the cocktail glass in front of her for a few seconds before she raised it to take a sip. "What?" Sloan asked, confused.

"I won't be producing Sunday night." Mac confessed.

"What?" Sloan asked again.

"It's not fair that Will got benched and I didn't."

"Will got benched?" Sloan asked, surprised. "I thought he took himself out!" She exclaimed.

"Fuck." Mac said out loud. "This stays between us." Mac told her. When Sloan nodded in agreement, Mac continued. "It was Charlie's decision." She explained. "I'm as responsible for the American Taliban editorial as he is. If he's being left out because of it, I'm out too. I told Charlie this morning and he'll tell Don once his show is over, tonight."

"Kenzie." Sloan tried to intervene but Mac didn't let her.

"We wrote it together, Sloan."

"Does he know?"

"Will?" Mac asked.

"Yeah." Sloan replied.

"No, he doesn't."

"You should tell him." Sloan told her. "He knows we all have his back but he'll appreciate you taking the fall with him."

"He doesn't need to know."

"He does." Sloan firmly said. "As well as the other situation."

"Don't start, please." Mac groaned. "I'm a grown woman and I make my own decisions. Stop treating me as a little kid."

"Stop acting like a little kid." Sloan spat back. "He's your friend, he cares about you."

"Right." Mac sarcastically laughed before taking a sip from her drink. "That's why he's been making my life hell for the past two months, fuck, for more than a year. That's why he brought Brian fucking Brenner to look over my shoulder while I whored myself out to save the ratings and, most important, to save him. That's why I'm still waiting to hear a thank you from him for spending almost a week at the hospital with him. That's why he tries to hurt me every chance he gets. He does all these things because he cares about me." Mac took a deep breath to calm herself down before continuing. "I'm tired, Sloan, I'm tired of being his punching bag. I know I hurt him, believe me, I know. How much longer will I have to endure this? I made a mistake and there isn't a day I don't regret it. I have punished myself for so long ..." Mac paused, making Sloan's heart break a little. "But haven't I suffered enough for my mistake? Why does he love to remind me time and time again that I broke his heart? Does he think I don't know? Doesn't he know that I broke mine too? That it is still broken?" Sloan stayed silent, letting Mac get everything out of her chest. "I left a job I loved for him; I left the fucking country to go report a war. I've been shoot at, I've slept in caves, I've been stabbed, for crying out loud! I almost died because of it and I have a nice fucking scar that reminds me about it every fucking day." She ended her rant. Sloan continued staring at her in silence, knowing there was more. "I'm tired. I'm tired of my life being about him."

"You're still in love with him." Sloan softly said.

"Of course I am!" Mac admitted before she could really think about what she was saying. "Would I be here if I wasn't?"

* * *

On Sunday night, Mac was pouring herself a glass of wine, while she waited for News Night to start, when her doorbell rang. She left the bottle on the kitchen counter and grabbed her glass before going to the door. She didn't know who would be visiting at that hour, everybody was working that night. It must be someone she knew, her doorman had a list of people allowed into the building (at Mike's insistence).

She looked through the peephole and she almost dropped her glass when she saw who was waiting outside her door. She quickly opened the bolts and then the door.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, her voice a mix between surprise and annoyance.

"Hey." Will simply replied.


	5. Chapter 5

Mac stared at him, dumfounded. What the hell was he doing there? Why was he looking so good with his faded jeans and deep blue sweater? Will, leaning on her door frame, looked at her with a shy smile on his face. He knew he had shocked her and, deep down, he felt a bit proud of himself.

"Are you gonna let me in?" He finally asked after several seconds of just staring at each other.

"Yeah, right." Mac replied before stepping aside to let him enter her apartment. Once he was inside, she closed the door and followed him to her living room. In the five seconds it had taken her to close the door, he had already made himself comfortable on her couch and had the remote on his hand, switching from CNN to ACN to watch the anniversary coverage that was about to start. "Want something to drink?" She asked him, not knowing what else to say.

"Some of that wine will be fine." He replied, pointing to the glass she was holding.

Mac walked to the kitchen and left her glass next to the bottle. Then, she opened a cupboard to get a wineglass for Will. She poured some wine into his glass and stared at her own for a few seconds before draining it in two big gulps and pouring herself another one. She got back into the living room and handed Will his glass. He replied with a quick thank you before returning his attention to the TV screen in front of him. Mac felt a bit underdressed in her calf-length colorful leggings and red tank top so she went to her bedroom to grab her short black robe before sitting down next to Will.

"Take your feet off my table." She told him, her words accompanied with a non-so-gentle kick to his legs.

"It was worth a shot." Will simply replied, pulling his feet down.

They watched the entire A-block in silence. Mac kept her sight on the screen, trying to ignore the fact that Will was sitting besides her on the couch. Meanwhile, Will glanced over to look at Mac every few minutes, waiting for her to say something. When the first commercial break began, Mac jumped out of her seat and walked to the kitchen without saying a word. Will quickly got up and followed her.

"Why aren't you at work?" He dared to ask.

"You're supposed to have the flu. What are you doing here?" Mac asked back.

"I called to wish everybody a good show. When I asked to be put through the control room to talk to you, Don answered and told me you weren't there." Will replied while moving to stand in front of her, at the other side of the island. "Why?"

"It doesn't matter." She told him.

"It does. To me."

"It didn't seem right for me to be there when you had been left out so I told Charlie I wouldn't be producing." Mac explained to him. "I joined today's meetings via Skype, though."

"Is that the reason why you've been so subdued lately?"

"Yeah." Mac replied, feeling bad for lying to him. It wasn't entirely a lie, she had other reasons for keeping her distance but one of them was the anniversary coverage. "Elliot and Sloan are doing a great job." She said, changing the subject.

"They are."

When they heard that the show was back on, they returned to the couch to watch it. For the rest of the broadcast, they talked to each other and shared their thoughts about what was going on. It felt weird, in a way: it reminded them of the old times, when they would spend hours sitting together on the couch watching the news or old movies, Will spooning Mac or him laying down with her on top of him, their bodies close, sharing a kiss every few minutes.

Will knew he didn't have a reason to stay any longer but he didn't want to leave. Since he had learnt that Mac hadn't heard the voicemail message, he had been trying to get closer, to slowly begin to trust her with his heart again. It wasn't an easy task, he had years of resentment flowing through his brain. And bringing Brian back hadn't helped, at all. He was really sorry for that, he knew he had to tell Mac, but something inside him prevented him of doing it. For her part, Mackenzie wanted Will to stay, despite all her current problems and her trying to avoid telling him, she was glad he had decided to come. She enjoyed his company, she enjoyed having him close. She took every opportunity she could, she grabbed every inch he gave her and held onto it as if her life depended of it.

Mac took his presence as a good sign of their road to recovery. She decided to test the boundaries a little more. "Want something to eat?" She asked Will, turning her head to look at him.

Will stared at her for a few seconds, happy to see how relaxed she seemed leaning back on her couch, with her head resting in one of her fluffy cushions, looking at him with her blue wonderful eyes. "What do you have?" He finally asked back.

"Not much." Mac admitted. "But we could order Chinese, or pizza."

"Chinese sounds great."

Mac got up from her comfy spot and walked to the kitchen to grab the menu from her favorite place. She dialed the restaurant's number and placed the order, without bothering to check what Will wanted. She knew all his favorite foods, she also knew he always ordered the same. Will stood near the door, amused. It had been years since they had been together but they still knew each other pretty well. He went back to the living room to grab their wine glasses and returned to the kitchen to refill them. While Mac took out plates and cutlery, Will sat down in a barstool. He looked around: even if it was a different apartment than the one Mac had when they were together, everything looked very similar. He noticed she had everything distributed the same way and that made him smile. Her fridge door was filled with pictures so he stood up to look at them. He first looked at the ones of her family: he remembered her oldest nephew and niece but he didn't know the other kids in those photos, he assumed her brothers had had more children. Then, he saw one of Mac and Jim, both wearing black t-shirts and cargo pants. Under that, there was one of Mac and Sloan, all dressed up, hanging onto each other with silly grins on their faces. He smiled at the picture of the News Night staff from the one year anniversary party at his apartment. But an almost hidden picture was the one that really caught his attention. He carefully took it and showed it to Mac.

"Why the hell is your hair blonde in this picture?" He asked her, confused as hell. Mac grabbed the picture from his hand and bursted out laughing. "What?" Will asked again.

"I lost an stupid bet with Tuck and Morris." Mac told him. At Will confused look, she explained. "They're two of the Marines from the unit I was embedded with. We became very good friends." She returned the picture to Will. "One night, after a very stressful day, we ended drinking cheap vodka and playing poker. We were pretty drunk and I had a very good hand. They knew it so we forgot about the money and decided to bet something different. Long story short, I lost the hand and had to dye my hair blonde and keep it like that, at least, for two weeks."

"Do you still talk to them?" Will asked her while returning the picture to its rightful place.

"Morris died just before I came back to New York." Mac told him. He wanted to ask what happened but the look on her face stopped him. "Tuck is still there. We email each other from time to time and he always calls for my birthday."

Mac was grateful that the doorbell rang at that moment, preventing her from having to explain more things about her time embedded. Some memories were really painful and she didn't want to remind Will (or herself) why she went in the first place. She offered to go downstairs to pick up the food but Will told her he would go. Meanwhile, she set everything on the breakfast bar.

* * *

They finished the bottle of wine and opened another one. The food was great and they enjoyed each other company. It had been a while since they had been so relaxed around each other and it felt nice. The mood was wonderful. When he had decided to go to her place, Will knew he had and wanted to apologize but it wasn't as easy as he had thought it would be. He poured himself another glass of wine and refilled Mac's once she had drunk the remaining liquid on her glass. She was pleasantly buzzed and he was getting there. It was the right time to bring up the subject.

"Mac?" He said, surprisingly shy.

"Yes?" She replied, confused at the sudden change in his mood.

"I'm sorry about the Brian thing." He told her before he could change his mind. "It was a pretty bad call. I thought it would make me feel better but it didn't. It was a stupid thing to do and I'm sorry."

Mac didn't know what to say. It had been more than two months since that had happened: why was he apologizing now? She looked at him, a blank expression on her face, waiting for him to say something more.

"Ok." Mac finally said.

"That's all?" He asked a bit incredulously.

"What do you want me to say?" She replied, getting up from her seat. "You brought Brian with the sole purpose of hurting me and you were kind enough of making it pretty clear. What were you expecting? A don't worry about it, it's fine? It's not, Will." She paused for a few seconds, putting her thoughts in order. "You've been punishing me since I came back and I never said a word, thinking I deserved it because I had hurt you. But you know what? I had enough."

"Mackenzie." He said while getting up.

"I think you should leave." Mac told him.

"No." Will firmly told her.

"No?" She asked him, annoyed.

"No." He replied. "You're right, I did it to hurt you and I'm sorry. I'm done, ok? Because I realized hurting you also hurts me, Mac. I've been hurting you and you did nothing but take it. You've been staying by my side, unconditionally, even when I tried to push you away." He stopped to loot directly at her eyes. "I never thanked you for taking care of me the week I was at the hospital, I haven't thanked you for what you did tonight. It means more than you think."

"You don't have to thank me." Mac whispered.

"Yes, I do." Will replied, slowly approaching her. "Thank you, Mackenzie." He said.

Will stood in front of her, with just a few inches between them. Before he could change his mind, he gathered her into his arms. At first, Mac didn't return the hug, still astonished by his words. Will didn't give up, he continued embracing her, he even pulled her a little bit closer. Finally, Mac relaxed into his arms and rested her head on his chest, her hands finding their way to gently caress his back.

When Mac raised her head, she saw something in his eyes that confused her even more. With their arms still around each other, Will looked down to stare at her eyes. He could see and feel her confusion, he was confused to, but, right at that moment, there was only one thing he wanted to do. Slowly, his head descended until his lips softly touched hers. That first kiss was chaste and tender. The second one had more passion into it.

Things were about to escalate very quickly so Mac stopped him before things could go any further.

"Billy." She told him.

Will understood her fears. It was the point of no return. He hadn't fully forgiven her, they both were aware of that, but he wanted to. "I'm working on it." He whispered. "I won't regret it."

"You still hadn't told me what was in the fucking voicemail, Will." Mac reminded him.

"I know." He admitted. "But I will. Soon."

Mac tried to get free of his arms but Will didn't let her. "Billy."

"I'm sure." He assured her.

"You're sure now. Will you still be sure tomorrow? And next week? Because I'm not sure I'll be able to take another blow, Will. I'm not sure I'll survive if you change your mind, Billy. Not right now."

"It won't be easy, nothing really is between us, Mackenzie, it never has been. Give me tonight? We'll work something out in the morning, but let's have tonight. You and me, nothing else matters right now."

After a few seconds, Mac nodded. Will smiled at her before capturing her lips into another kiss. Slowly, they walked their way to her bedroom, sharing quick kisses between removing their clothes. They finally laid down on her bed, facing each other, clad only in their underwear. Will lovingly tucked her hair behind her ear before he moved closer to kiss her again. Carefully, Mac rolled onto her back and Will climbed on top of her.

Their lovemaking was slow and tender, full of unsaid feelings and words. They took their time to get to know each other again, exploring their bodies and reactions to different touches and caresses. They fell asleep holding each other, Mac tucked into his side with her head resting on his shoulder. But when Will woke up the next morning, he found himself alone.


	6. Chapter 6

For once in her life, Mackenzie was glad that Will wasn't going to anchor News Night on Monday. They had told everybody that he had the flu so, in order for that to be credible, he had to also stay Monday at home. She appreciated the extra time she had before facing him: she really needed it. What happened on Sunday had been both confusing and unexpected: waking up, naked, in Will's arms for the first time in five years had scared her. The feeling had been so overwhelming that she had gotten up and left before he woke up. She wasn't sure what to say to him, or how to act after what had happened. Was he really working on forgiving her? Did he really mean what he said? Or his words were just spoken out of gratefulness? Or even worse, pity? Were they back together?

Her mind wouldn't stop. She was staring at the open newspaper in front of her, highlighter in hand, deep in her thoughts, when Sloan walked into her office and plopped down in one of the chairs before Mac's desk.

"Charlie just told me I'm subbing for Will tonight. I though Elliot would be at eight and me at ten, not that I would have to anchor News Night!" Sloan quickly said.

Mac raised her head, startled. "What?" She asked her friend.

"Are you alright?" Sloan replied after seeing the lost look on Mac's face.

"Yeah, just tired." Mac told her. "What were you saying?"

"I'm your anchor for tonight." She repeated.

"I know." Mac smiled. "Are you ready? I run a very tight show." She asked Sloan, messing with her.

"It'll be fun!"

* * *

Tuesday and Wednesday had been two taut days at the News Night newsroom. The tension between Mac and Will hadn't gone unnoticed to anyone working there. They had been civil, speaking only when it was strictly necessary, walking on eggshells around each other. While Mac was pretty bewildered about everything, Will was feeling a bit hurt that she had left without saying anything or even leaving a note.

Finally, Thursday afternoon, after the last rundown meeting, Will decided that enough was enough. Determined, he left his office and stormed into Mackenzie's office without knocking. "We have to talk about what happened Sunday night."

"_What happened Sunday night?_" Will heard Sloan ask. He looked around but he didn't see her.

"Where the hell are you?" He said out loud. Instead of answering, Mac turned her computer screen. Will saw Sloan happily waving at him from her office at Columbia.

"We'll talk later." Mac told her.

"_Wait! Don't leave me like this! I wanna know-_" Mac ended the Skype call before Sloan could finish the sentence and returned her screen to its position.

"You're gonna get so much shit for that." Will said, trying to lighten the mood.

"I'll manage." Mac replied before inviting him to sit down. "I'm sorry for leaving like I did but I needed time to think." She told him before he could say anything.

"Do you regret it?"

"Do you?" She quickly asked back.

"I don't." Will firmly said. "But you do." He guessed.

"I'm not sure, Will. Everything was pretty unexpected and went too fast. I think we weren't ready to take that step. There are so many things that we have to talk about, so many words still unsaid ..." She took a moment to take a deep breath. "It's not that easy."

"I know it's not, Mackenzie. But it can be, right?" Will said, slightly smiling, repeating the words she had written on that pad more than a year ago. He understood her fears, he really did. He even shared some of them, but he was willing to work together with her to overcome them.

Mac returned the smile, touched. She just nodded in agreement. Will stood up and went around her desk. He sat down on its edge, in front of her, and gently grabbed her chin to raise her head. "We have a show to do. Let me take you out for dinner afterwards and we'll talk."

"Tomorrow, ok? Then we won't have to worry if it gets late."

"Tomorrow it is."

They stared at each other for a few seconds. Then, out of the blue, Will grabbed her hand and made her stand up before he pulled her into a tight hug. Mac immediately relaxed into his arms, enjoying the closeness of their bodies. Will softly caressed her hair while Mac hid her face in the space between his neck and his shoulder.

"Don't keep things from me, please." Will whispered. "Don't run away again."

Mac closed her eyes, trying to hold the tears at bay. "I won't."

Will gently released her from the embrace but kept his hands on her waist. Mac opened her eyes and smiled sadly at him. Will leant to give her a quick peck on the lips. "I'm gonna get ready." He told her.

He tenderly squeezed her shoulders and left. Mac let herself fall down on her chair and sighed deeply. _Tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll tell him about the threats._ She thought.

* * *

That night, the show went smoothly, as it hadn't in a long time. After finishing some things in the control room, Mac returned to her office, more than ready to go home. She opened her door and found Mike standing there, waiting.

"We have to talk." He said as soon as she set a foot into the room.

"What are you doing up here?" She asked him, slightly pissed.

"McAvoy left ten minutes ago, don't worry."

Mac dropped her things on her desk and sat down on her chair. "What's going on?"

"I talked to Detective Johnson today. As you know, we've been intercepting everything you receive from that guy." When she nodded, he continued. "Where are not sure why, but the nature of the notes and deliveries has changed in the last few days."

"Changed how?" Mac asked him, concerned.

"At first, we thought that the perp was angry about the American Taliban broadcast; the time was right and his notes suggested that. Stalkers usually become attached to the object of their actions, we noticed that when his notes and gifts turned from angry to somewhat romantic, for a lack of a better word. He's obsessed with you, Mac, he wants to gain your attention. I'm sure he knows you have protection, but he hasn't decreased his efforts to make you notice him."

"Why the hell are you telling me this? I don't want to know!" She angrily exclaimed.

"Something changed, ok? He's pissed and we don't know why. His last note tells us he's becoming more dangerous. He had it delivered with this." He told her before handing her an envelope she hadn't noticed before. Mac carefully opened it and gasped when she saw what was inside. "Do you recognize this?" Mike asked her.

"It's the picture he took from my flat." Mac softly said. "Why is my head blacked out? Why did he scratch Will's face?" She took another look at the picture before leaving it on her desk. "What did the note say?"

"Mine." Mike simply replied.

"Oh God." Mac said, her hand flying to cover her mouth.

"He's getting sloppier: he left a fingerprint this time. NYPD is running it to see if they can identify him."

"Ok. So, what now?" Mac said, resigned.

"Now, I take you home. We're working on it, we'll get him." Mike assured her.

* * *

Mike stopped the car at a red light, a few blocks from the AWN building. Mackenzie was being overly quiet during the way to her apartment and it concerned him. He knew he had scared her with the news about the perp but he also knew he had to tell her.

Suddenly, something hit them from behind and the car jerked forward, crashing into the car before them. He heard the loud noise of pieces getting broken and the yelp of surprise from the woman sitting on his right. Mike quickly unfastened his seat belt and jumped out of his car, just in time to see a black car speeding away. He looked at the plate and made a mental note. He saw the driver of the other vehicle also getting out so he took out his cell and called 911 while he went to check on Mac. He explained what had happened to the operator and, before he hung up, sirens could already be heard approaching them.

He looked at Mac and began to check for injuries. He noticed that she had her hand on her neck and that her face had a painful expression. "Don't move." He told her when he saw she was about to unfasten her seatbelt. He leant over to do it for her. "What hurts?" He asked, concerned but remaining very calm.

"My neck." Mac said, her voice barely a whisper.

"Did you hit your head?"

"I don't think so." She replied.

"Help is on the way. I'm gonna check the other driver. Don't move, ok? Stay inside the car until the ambulance gets here."

He didn't wait for an answer before he walked away. He was relieved once he learnt that the other driver was fine. A police car arrived along with an ambulance. He quickly directed the paramedics to Mac after assuring them that he and the other man were alright. He explained what he knew to the responding officers, glancing every few seconds to his car, trying to see what they were doing to Mac.

Meanwhile, two paramedics approached Mac. While the man began preparing the equipment, the woman spoke to Mac. "Hi, dear. My name's Alex and this guy over here is Derek. Does your neck hurt?" Alex asked her after a quick observation, carefully taking away Mac's hand from its place on her neck.

"Yeah." Mac simply said.

"Ok. Anything else?"

"Not yet." She half-joked.

"Can you tell me your name, dear?"

"Mackenzie."

"Well, Mackenzie, I'm gonna ask you a couple of questions and then I'll check your neck. While I do that, Derek is going to ask you more questions to fill the paperwork. Once we're done, we'll stabilize you and get you to the Presbyterian ER so they can do some X-rays and give you a nice dose of painkillers. How does that sound?"

"Pretty good, except for the ER part." Mac replied, distracted as she looked down at the pulse oximeter that it had just been placed on her finger.

"I know, everybody says that." Alex said, smiling kindly at her. "Can you move your head?"

"Yes, but it hurts."

"Numbness? Dizziness? Blurred vision? Tiredness?"

"I'm always tired." Mac told her, laughing softly but immediately regretting it when the action caused more pain on her neck.

"Not a good idea right now, dear." Alex said.

"I'm a bit dizzy."

"Ok." She replied. "Derek, get ready the brace and the stretcher and find the man that was with her, please." She told the younger man.

Alex carefully placed her fingers on Mac's neck, first checking her pulse and then gently palpating the area. Mac hissed in pain a couple of times and sent the other woman a murderous look. Just as Alex was finishing, Mike appeared behind her along with Derek.

"How is she?" Mike asked the paramedic.

"Are you her husband?" Alex said, gladly accepting the neck brace Derek had handed her.

"Private security." He replied.

"Wow. You must be a very important girl." She continued, removing Mac's necklace before placing the brace around her neck and fastening it with Derek's help. "Can you move your hands and feet?" Mac showed her that she could. "Very well. We'll check your blood pressure and then move you to the stretcher, ok?"

Alex let Derek do the job while she took Mike aside for a minute. "I think she just has whiplash but we need to get her to ER to do a CT scan or a MRI to rule out other injuries. You should call her emergency contact, she'll need someone to stay with her when she's discharged." At his slightly panicked look, Alex smiled and squeezed his arm. "Don't worry, we'll ask her."

They returned to Mackenzie's side. Mike went to talk to her while Derek shared his notes with Alex. "No trouble breathing. Saturation at 96%. Pulse, 83. BP 95/60."

"Ok. We'll need an IV line and a bag of fluids." She told him. "Is everything ready?"

"Yeah."

With the help of the ambulance driver and Mike, they transferred Mac from the car seat to the stretcher. Once she was secured, they moved her to the waiting ambulance. Mike followed her closely and climbed into the ambulance before they could stop him. Alex and Derek got in after him and closed the doors.

"Sit there-" Alex told Mike, pointing to a narrow bench at the end of the ambulance. "And try to not get in the way."

"Yes ma'am." Mike replied.

"Warren!" She yelled to the driver. "Let's go! And drive carefully!"

While Alex grabbed the supplies she needed, Derek sat next to Mac to fill the rest of the paperwork.

"Mackenzie, I need to ask you some more questions."

"Fine." She replied.

"Last name?"

"McHale."

"Age?"

"You shouldn't ask that to a lady. It's rude." Mac told him very seriously. Derek, unsure, turned to look at Alex who simply grinned. Then, he heard Mike snort.

"She's messing with you." Mike clarified.

"Sorry." Mac said even if she didn't really mean it. "Thirty-seven."

"Allergies?"

"Nothing that I know of."

"Previous spinal injuries?"

"None."

"Is there something on your medical record we should know about?"

"Stab wound, 2009, right lumbar region, they had to remove a few inches of my small intestine. Occasional panic attacks; the medication is in my purse."

"Any other medication?" He asked after checking her purse.

"Birth-control pills."

"Alright." Derek said, smiling down at her. "It's a short ride; we'll be there in no time."

* * *

When the ambulance arrived at New York Presbyterian ER, two doctors and a nurse were already waiting for them. The rear door opened and the paramedics quickly got out before they slowly descended the stretcher.

"Female, 37. Car accident with possible cervical injury. Pulse 85. BP was 95/60, went up to 110/65 after we put an IV with fluids. Sat 96%. Glasgow 15. Airway is clear. Complains of neck pain, no numbness. Some dizziness present. Motor and sensory functions preserved." Alex explained while handing the record to one of the doctors.

"Box 3." The older doctor ordered and they began moving.

"Mackenzie." The other doctor said after checking her name on the chart. "I'm Dr. Kim. We're going to take a look at your neck now. Tell us immediately if you begin to feel any numbness, blurred vision or you have any difficulties breathing, ok?"

"Ok." Mac simply replied, feeling a bit scared at all the fuss around her.

"Mac." Mike called her while walking very fast to be able to be right next to her. "Who's your emergency contact?"

"Oh, shit." Mac murmured.

"What?" Mike asked, very concerned.

"It's Will."


End file.
